Bathroom Organization

This past weekend I was not only spending time with family, but on Saturday I cleaned and organized the house hardcore. This included the long overdue bathroom cabinets...

We have two sets of cabinets in our bathroom. One set is the typical under the sink variety with two small drawers on either side. The other ones are actually kitchen cabinets I found at Goodwill and painted a cheery yellow.

I generally like to keep everyday items in the cabinet under the sink and I use the yellow one more for storage and items I don't use everyday. First I'll give a bathroom organization tour and then I will provide some of my storage tips and things to think about to customize your own system.

Now to show you my bathroom!

I'll start with under the sink. I do my makeup and get ready on the floor in front of a long mirror in our bathroom, so I built my system around that. I previously kept my everyday makeup in a large makeup bag on the floor with no real system. My brushes and eyeliners were in jars on a shelf that I couldn't reach from the floor and they often got put on the bathroom counter after I was done using them. I moved these jars inside the cabinet where I could reach them better. Instead of the big bag for my makeup that I couldn't tell what was in there, I divided up my makeup into where it is applied to the face. Eyeshadow is in a separate candle jar, lip colors are in a jar, brushes and eyeliner each have their own mason jar. Things like foundation, blush,  and other face products like primers go in a small plastic bin. I also keep my daily-use palates and compacts in this bin because they fit best in there and are very accessible.

I used a turn table to easily store hair and skincare products within reach. These are ones that I might not use everyday, but still need access to at a moment's notice. The wicker basket (which is really a magazine rack) holds my styling tools like my flat iron, curling iron, and blow dryer when not in use. The medium plastic bin holds most of Brian's items and also some miscellaneous items like peroxide, etc. There's also two empty candle jars in front to hold cotton balls and q-tips, eliminating the ugly and bulky packaging.

The yellow cabinet holds more of the occasional use items that I still need access to quickly. The top shelf holds nail polish. You might notice that I don't use bins for my polish collection. I tried containing my collection, but I find that my polish multiplies quicker than I can keep up with, so I just try to keep it all on the same shelf. I also have a makeup bag with all of my manicure odds and ends like nail files, separators, and polish stickers. To the other side of the top shelf I have some body sprays and perfumes. The second shelf has items that I use pretty frequently but not everyday like pore strips, lip colors, extra cosmetic wedges and spare razors. I put my "going out" makeup in the pink and gold makeup bag.. these are all the glittery things that are definitely not for everyday. The blue bin holds extra cotton rounds and hair clips. The bottom shelf is where the most action is. I have a confession... I'm a shampoo and conditioner hoarder. I am obsessed with Organix products and refuse to use anything else. So the bottom is where the stash is along with body wash, extra shave cream and some extra styling products.

Lastly, the linen closet that is steps away from the bathroom holds several bins of occasional use items... there's a bin for extra makeup bags, extra shaving items, travel size toiletries, and sun care items. It helps to use this space for a little added storage.

The key to organization is to stay organized. If you implement a system that you can't maintain, it's pointless and frustrating. You need to make sure your system work for you and your routines. Here are some quick suggestions for when you decide to create your own system:

• How often do you use the item? Think of what you use daily and what you use less often which can be in storage. Are there things that you may not use everyday, but on a frequent enough basis that you want to get to it easily?
• Where do you get ready for the day? Think of your morning and evening routines and where you need to store your everyday items that you need to be accessible? Do you get ready in front of your bathroom mirror? Or do you prefer your dresser mirror? One of my friends actually gets ready at the kitchen table while her daughters eat breakfast. It really doesn't matter where, it's just what works best for your life. 
• The right storage containers and systems make a world of difference! A must to maintain a system is to have a place for everything so there is no question where something is or where it is supposed to go back. Some helpful storage solutions I've found to be helpful include small baskets and plastic bins, empty candle jars, mason jars of all sizes, turn tables meant for spice storage, and makeup bags.

Well, that's the tour of our bathroom organization system. I hope my tips and tour inspire you to rethink your storage and offer some solutions for any trouble-areas you didn't know what to do with. Let me know what you think or if there's other areas of the home that you want to know how I organize!